Bid For Power
by Black Fox Raven
Summary: A new threat has risen up against Knothole, but one within the castle's walls prepares to make his own power play. In the middle of all this is Sonic the Hedgehog, seeking answers and trying to decide just what the right thing is.
1. A New Threat

Bid For Power  
  
by  
  
Black Fox Raven  
  
* * *  
  
Okay, legal disclaimer. Anyone not ©Sega or Archie is ©me. This fanfic should ONLY exist at www.fanfiction.net, so if you got it somewhere else, e- mail me at raven2040@yahoo.com.  
  
Plagiarism is a very bad thing, boys and girls, so don't steal my work.  
  
Also a disclaimer; I'm familiar with the Archie universe, but not in great detail, so if I type something that may seem wrong, just ignore it and go on with the story.  
  
* * *  
  
CHAPTER 1  
  
* * *  
  
Somewhere near Robotropolis stood a vital installation to the freedom fighter movement. Rumors had circulated that Robotnik was mobilizing forces to attack it. Several soldiers were recently sent to make sure it was not overrun. The base was the first line of defense between Knothole and Robotropolis, and for that reason it was vital. Several men and women were preparing for the inevitable assault. They were all brave souls, not afraid to die for what they believed in.  
  
Unfortunately, there were fates worse than death. Among them was robotization. You could talk about it like it was just something horrible to have happen to you, but until you fought on the battle lines against robots that were once your friends, or even family, you didn't realize the true horror of it all.  
  
A young woman, a ferret, clad in an official uniform, spoke to one of the men. "Who's the commanding officer here?" she asked.  
  
"That would be me," said a male arctic fox who approached her from behind. The woman recognized his outfit.  
  
"You're one of Geoffrey's boys, aren't you?" she asked.  
  
The fox nodded. "Captain Steven Reynard, at your service," he said. "And who might this lovely lady be and why has she graced us with her presence?"  
  
The woman smirked. "My name is Julia," she said, "and I'm here with the reinforcements."  
  
Steven nodded. "Good to hear," he said. "We're going to need all the help we can get. Where is Daniel?"  
  
A raccoon came forward at the mention of his name. "Here I am."  
  
"How many of them are there?" Steven asked.  
  
"Looks to be about eighty of them," he said.  
  
"Damn," he muttered. "They outnumber us two to one. But now that Julia's here with the reinforcements we should uggggh!" Before Steven even realized it someone had run him through from behind with a blade. Within seconds the area was in a state of pandemonium. The reinforcements weren't actually here to help, as they began attacking the others, disposing of them quickly. Julia was directing traffic, obviously the leader of this group of mavericks. Within seconds they decimated the forces, and few were left alive. The ones that were still alive were not untouched, as they were wounded and maimed.  
  
Julia smiled at the work her forces had done. She walked over to one of the vehicles and painted a symbol on the side of it in red. It was recognized as combination of an ancient rune of life and a rune of death. She turned to the troops at her side.  
  
"Burn this place."  
  
* * *  
  
It had been three months since Prince Elias had returned to Knothole. His motives for doing so were unclear, but he was welcomed back with open arms by his father, and his walking out was never mentioned again. Much to Elias's dismay, however, his father had set him back in the position that drove him away from Knothole in the first place: ruling the kingdom in his father's stead. It wasn't too bad, however, as Geoffrey St. John was more than willing to resume his role in leading Knothole in Elias's name.  
  
In his room, Elias was reading a book quietly to himself. He had recently come down with a cough and a fever that he dismissed as a cold. It wasn't very serious, whatever it was. But even so, Geoffrey had suggested to him that he not do anything strenuous.  
  
Speaking of Geoffrey, he had just walked in carrying what looked like a piece of metal in his hand. He didn't seem to be in the best of spirits either. He looked worried, which got the attention of Elias.  
  
"Is there something wrong?" Elias asked.  
  
Geoffrey nodded. "We have a problem," he said. "The main base on the front line was decimated."  
  
Elias gasped. "Robotnik's troops?"  
  
"No," Geoffrey replied. "This was caused by someone else. A group of volunteer reinforcements had made their way to the base, where they were ambushed by a group of assassins. They took their guise and went to the base themselves disguised as the volunteers. Once inside they laid waste to the area, killing most of the people there."  
  
"My God," Elias muttered, then suddenly coughed twice.  
  
"Are you all right, Elias?" Geoffrey asked. "I notice that your cough hasn't improved."  
  
Elias shook his head. "It's nothing, it." Elias was again interrupted by more coughing, eventually developing into a coughing fit that caused a look of concern on Geoffrey's face. When Elias recovered, he hit his palm against his chest twice and tried to regain his breath.  
  
"Sorry," Elias said. "Do go on."  
  
"Right," Geoffrey said. "Anyway, after they left Robotnik's troops rolled into the base and easily eliminated the remaining survivors. I'm guessing they were roboticized. Only one person survived. He brought this back. He said the assassins left it behind as a mark."  
  
Geoffrey then showed Elias the piece of metal. On one side was the strange marking that Julia had left on the vehicle, registering a gasp and a look of dread on Elias's face.  
  
"No," Elias muttered. "It can't be."  
  
"You've seen this marking before?" Geoffrey asked.  
  
"Yes. It is the marking of a group of people known as the Stosstrupen."  
  
Geoffrey thought for a moment. "Stosstrupen? That name sounds familiar."  
  
"They're a clan of assassins," Elias said. "My father once told me about them. They've warred with the House of Acorn for years over a dispute over the throne. They disappeared shortly before the Great War. Those who fought them thought they were gone."  
  
"I remember now," Geoffrey said, "but the only things I've heard are myths and legends. They're not even supposed to exist."  
  
"They exist," Elias said. "And that is either proof of their existence or a very cruel joke." Elias sat up. "I must warn my father."  
  
"No," Geoffrey said. "Think of the consequences of that action. Most people think of the Stosstrupen as only a fairy tale, so if you tell everyone, you will either be considered insane, or if they do believe you, Knothole will be in a state of panic."  
  
"Nevertheless," Elias said, "my father must know about this." Elias got to his feet, then coughed repeatedly as he stood.  
  
"Elias, you must lay down," Geoffrey said. "You're in no condition to do anything right now."  
  
"No," Elias said taking a step toward the door. "I'll be all right. I..." Elias's words were interrupted by coughing. He struggled to take another step toward the door, then immediately collapsed.  
  
"Prince Elias!" Geoffrey said in shock. "Are you all right?" He was losing consciousness, and thought he heard Geoffrey calling for a doctor, but was unable to tell as his vision faded to black.  
  
* * *  
  
Geoffrey waited outside Elias's room. Dr. Quack was brought to Elias in short order. He was examining the future king now. After a brief wait, the door opened and Dr. Quack stepped out.  
  
"What's the diagnosis," Geoffrey asked.  
  
"He seems to have a case of what appears to be tuberculosis," Dr. Quack said. "At least, that's what I think it is. I haven't seen a case quite like this in a long time."  
  
"Is he going to be all right?"  
  
"Hard to say," Quack said. "Nowadays, tuberculosis is easily cured, but this is a very unusual case. I've never seen it spread so quickly, nor have I seen it occur with the symptoms he has. On another note, this disease doesn't appear to be contaigous."  
  
Geoffrey looked worried. "What should we do?"  
  
"Well, I can give him some antibiotics but until I find out exactly what it is that's gotten ahold of him I can't really say what'll happen. Until then, I suggest he gets some rest. And tell him not to leave his room. Like I said, it doesn't appear to be contaigous, but that doesn't mean it isn't."  
  
Geoffrey nodded. "It will be done."  
  
* * *  
  
Sonic stepped out of the bathroom, drying his quills off with a towel, humming a song to himself. He was in a pretty good mood, as his mind was on the events that would transpire later tonight. He had a date with Sally in a few hours. This was no ordinary date, however. Sonic was going to ask Sally something very important.  
  
He passed by a mirror over his dresser, looked at it, fixed his quills, then smirked and said "You da man!"  
  
He opened the dresser and looked through his socks, then found what he was looking for: a small black box. He opened it and looked at what was inside: a beautiful gold ring adorned with diamonds and emeralds. He had saved up a lot of money to get this, and it took him over a year to do so, but he had finally gotten it. It was the second most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, next to the person he was planning to give it to.  
  
He actually had the ring for months now, but every time he'd gotten around to try and ask Sally the big question, he'd always choked under pressure. Tonight was going to be different. There was going to be absolutely no way that Sally would escape this time.  
  
He noticed he had a message on the answering machine. "Must have called while I was in the shower," he said to himself. He pressed the play button.  
  
"Hi, you've reached the home of Sonic, the most way past cool hedgehog! I'm not in right now, but if you leave a message after the tone, I'll give you a ring. Catch ya later!"  
  
"Sonic, it's me, Sally." Sonic's ears perked up when he heard Sally's voice. "I know we had a date tonight, but something's come up with my brother. He's gotten sick and I need to see him. Don't worry, Sonic. I promise I'll make it up to you. Bye."  
  
Just like that, Sonic's perfect day was over.  
  
"Damn it!" he shouted. "That's the third night in a row!" He sat down on his bed, looking at the ring he was going to use to propose to the girl he loved, then sat it aside and shook his head. "I can understand why she'd want to be with Elias if he's sick," Sonic thought to himself. "But usually she calls off dates for silly things. Either that or that moron Geoffrey wants to talk to her about something. And this was supposed to be our night, too!"  
  
"Oh well," he said to himself. "There's always another day."  
  
There was a knock on the door. "Come in," Sonic said. In walked Mina the mongoose with a cheerful smile on her face.  
  
"Hi Sonic," she said. "I was wondering if...what's wrong?" Mina noticed the sour expression on Sonic's face.  
  
"It's nothing. Just having problems with....crap!" Sonic realized he'd left the ring lying next to him on the bed. He quickly grabbed it and hid it somewhere. Thanks to his super speed, he was able to put it in a hiding place before Mina even realized what was going on.  
  
"What are you doing?" Mina asked with a smirk on her face.  
  
"Nothing!" Sonic replied with a big phony smile. "Nothing at all!"  
  
"Well, you seemed to be in a bad mood so...."  
  
"Oh noooooo! I'm having a blast of a day! Really!"  
  
Mina giggled. "Silly boy. I'm not even going to ask. Oh by the way, I found this place by the lake that's really pretty in the moonlight. I thought I'd come and show it to you."  
  
Sonic looked at Mina, who was still smiling sweetly at him. He knew she was up to something, and it wasn't simply to "show him a place by the lake". "Are you asking me out on a date?" Sonic asked.  
  
Mina blushed. "Well....."  
  
Sonic sighed. He knew Mina had a crush on him, and while she was nice and all, his feelings lied elsewhere. "Look Mina," he said. "I like you, all right? I really do. But I don't 'like' you. You understand what I'm saying?" He'd been over this discussion with Mina several times, but she kept on coming on to him. She was persistent, all right. Maybe not as persistent as Amy, but then, who could be?  
  
"Yeah yeah, I know," Mina said, the smile still on her face despite the fact that she had been let down. "You 'like' Sally, right? Well, she's not going to be there for you forever, ya know."  
  
"Of course she will," Sonic said, even though he was starting to wonder due to recent events.  
  
"Oh really?" Mina asked. "And you're sure that you're the only one she has eyes for?"  
  
"Positive," Sonic replied.  
  
"I don't know. She doesn't seem to mind whenever Geoffrey comes on to her." Mina giggled, and Sonic winced. She hit a nerve, and she knew it.  
  
"There's nothing between them," Sonic replied hastily.  
  
"And she seems to like boys quite a bit," Mina said. "Remember Griff?"  
  
"That's below the belt," Sonic said quietly.  
  
"She's gonna lose you sooner or later," Mina said as she wrapped her arms around Sonic's neck, pulling a little closer to him, her lips very close to his. "And when she does, I'll be there to pick you up!"  
  
Right about now the only thing that could make this day any worse would be if Sally herself walked in and saw Mina wrapped around Sonic like this. Luckily for him, Sally didn't come. Sonic blushed and got out from around Mina's arms. "Can we switch the subject to something else?" Sonic asked.  
  
"Oh all right," Mina said, sticking her tongue out at Sonic. "Okay, forget the date. Why don't we go over to Tails's place and see if he'll give us a ride on the Tornado."  
  
Sonic thought about it for a moment. It would get his mind off being stood up for the third time in a row. "All right," he said. "I'm in."  
  
* * *  
  
"Another one gone?" Geoffrey asked.  
  
"Yes," a young female racoon wearing clothes similar to Geoffrey's said. "Deep in Robotropolis, like the first one. Afterwards Robotnik's troops destroyed the remains, just like before."  
  
"Were there any strange markings left behind, Captain?"  
  
The woman shook her head. "There were no survivors, so it's difficult to tell."  
  
"It must be the Stosstrupen," Geoffrey thought to himself. "It's so much like the last one it can't be coincidence."  
  
"Sir?" the racoon asked, noticing that Geoffrey was in deep thought.  
  
"It's nothing," Geoffrey said. "Captain..."  
  
The woman smiled at Geoffrey. "You can call me Taylor, you know. We're not on duty."  
  
"Captain," Geoffrey repeated. "I want you to send as many troops to our remaining bases as possible. Warn them of what happened to the last two bases, and make sure this does not happen again."  
  
"Very well," Taylor replied, turning her back to Geoffrey and leaving. "He's always got his mind on his work," Taylor thought to herself. "I don't think he's ever just let his hair down once in his life." She glanced back at Geoffrey one last time before shutting the door to his office.  
  
Geoffrey did not really appreciate the fact that it was the middle of the night and he had to fill out more paperwork explaining how another base was crushed with little resistance. He would get the blame for this. Even now he was sure that certain people were trying to prove his incompetence as a leader. This would not do. He had big plans, and part of making those plans work was to ensure his reputation stayed intact.  
  
"They must be told," Geoffrey said. "They must be told of this new menace."  
  
((TO BE CONTINUED..))  
  
* * *  
  
Once again, comments and criticism are welcome. Flames will result in decapitation. 


	2. Banishment

Bid For Power  
  
by  
  
Black Fox Raven  
  
* * *  
  
Okay, legal disclaimer. Anyone not ©Sega or Archie is ©me. This fanfic should ONLY exist at www.fanfiction.net, so if you got it somewhere else, e- mail me at raven2040@yahoo.com.  
  
Plagiarism is a very bad thing, boys and girls, so don't steal my work.  
  
* * *  
  
CHAPTER 2  
  
* * *  
  
"Here's your speech," Geoffrey said, handing Elias some papers. "Sorry to make you do this in your current condition, but the people must know that you're in good health, even if it's not the truth."  
  
"I understand," Elias replied, looking over the papers. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Elias asked. "Yesterday you said it would be a bad idea to tell everyone about the Stosstrupen."  
  
"I know," Geoffrey replied. "But the attacks keep coming, and the people are starting to ask questions and I'm running out of excuses."  
  
"As you say," Elias replied. His attention then turned to a paragraph on the last sheet. "Um....Geoffrey....about this last part...."  
  
"What about it?" Geoffrey asked.  
  
"Does my father know about this?"  
  
Geoffrey nodded. "He does."  
  
Elias coughed twice. "Sally?"  
  
"She does as well."  
  
"That's strange," Elias said. "She hasn't mentioned anything to me about it."  
  
"You are....opposed to it, my prince?" Geoffrey asked somewhat hesitantly.  
  
Elias shook his head. "Oh no," he said. "Not at all. In fact I'm quite pleased. I just find it strange that I've had no knowledge of it until now, that's all."  
  
Geoffrey smiled. "How have you been doing lately?" he asked. "Have the antibiotics that Dr. Quack gave you been working."  
  
"I think so," Elias replied. "I haven't been coughing as much today as I was yesterday."  
  
"Wonderful news, my prince," Geoffrey said.  
  
Elias smiled. "There will be even more wonderful news to tell in the evening."  
  
* * *  
  
Sonic and Tails were in the middle of their usual mid-morning race, off to see Sally. Sonic decided that if Sally wasn't going to come to him so he could propose to her, he would go to her. Tails, of course, knew nothing of Sonic's plans, and just came along for the ride.  
  
"Not too bad, Tails," Sonic said as Tails suddenly appeared in front of him. Although Tails couldn't match Sonic's speed, he did have other ways of getting ahead of him. The ability to fly came in pretty handy at times.  
  
"I'll beat you this time, Sonic," Tails said with a smile on his face. Tails had actually won a few times against Sonic, but never in a straight up race on flat ground. Still, he knew the shortcut to Sally's place that Sonic didn't. Victory was assured.  
  
"Hey, Sonic!" cried a familiar female voice from behind them. "Wait for me!"  
  
Sonic gulped. "Oh no! Mina! We can't let her know where we're going, Tails! Maximum speed!" With that, Sonic kicked it into high gear. Even though Mina had unusually high speed much like Sonic, she couldn't really match up to him in terms of speed, or even come close. She COULD keep up, however, and the last thing he needed was Mina around when Sonic proposed to Sally.  
  
"I know a shortcut," Tails said, not really wanting to give it away, but sensing the urgency in Sonic's words, he decided to anyway. There would always be another time, he thought to himself. "Grab on," he said. Sonic did, and Tails carried him into the tree limbs above.  
  
"That's not fair!" Mina shouted. "You can play hard to get all you want, Sonic, but I'll catch you! Just you wait!"  
  
Up in the branches, Tails dropped Sonic off on a high limb and pointed the way. "You can go straight ahead and you'll see the palace," Tails said.  
  
"Great!" Sonic replied. "I owe you one, big guy!"  
  
As the two raced toward the palace, Tails noticed something. "There sure are a lot of people there," he said.  
  
"I noticed," Sonic replied, running ahead to get a better look.  
  
"Sonic, wait!"  
  
* * *  
  
Almost everyone in Knothole stood outside the palace. They were waiting for a royal address from Prince Elias. It was declared to be of the utmost urgency, so just about everyone was there, preparing to hear it.  
  
Trumpets sounded, and Elias appeared on a balcony used to address the crowd. With him, as always, was Geoffrey St. John. He showed no signs of sickness as he walked to the podium. How fortunate, Geoffrey thought. The last thing Knothole needed in times like these was to know that their prince was not in good health.  
  
"People of Knothole," Elias began, glancing at the speech that Geoffrey had written for him every now and then. "I have called you here today because we, the freedom fighters, face a crisis that we have not experienced since the days before the Great War."  
  
About this time Sonic appeared at a tree branch in the forest just across from the palace. He saw Elias speaking, and overheard mention of a crisis. He saw Geoffrey there too. No sign of Sally, though.  
  
"As some of you may have learned," Elias said, "we have lost two of our forts inside Dr. Robotnik's territory. However, these attacks were not perpetrated by Dr. Robotnik or his forces. A survivor brought back a mark that the attackers left behind." At this, Geoffrey held up the piece of metal bearing the strange marking, causing an audible gasp from some of the crowd. "This, my subjects, is the mark of a group of assassins known as the Stosstrupen." At the mention of the name Stosstrupen, a huge commotion rose, and the people talked among themselves, some in a state of shock.  
  
"Sonic," Talis asked. "What's a Stosstrupen?"  
  
"A clan of assassins," Sonic said, "but I've only heard about them in fairy tales and history books."  
  
"For many years, we have believed that the Stosstrupen were but an ancient memory," Elias continued. "We thought that they were gone. We thought them banished from the face of the earth. Evidently, we thought wrong. We now fight a war on two fronts, people of Knothole. One the one side, we fight Dr. Robotnik, a ruthless dictator with nothing short of dominating the entire world on his agenda. On the other side, we face an enemy that has risen from the ashes to do battle with us. However, my subjects, I assure you that we will not bend to the attacks of these terrorists. They can destroy our forts, but they can never destroy the spirit of the freedom fighters."  
  
The crowd cheered at Elias's words, even though they were really Geoffrey's words. Elias was glad that Geoffrey was such a good speech writer. Geoffrey smiled. It was a shame that he wasn't much of a ruler, Geoffrey thought.  
  
"From now on, we will always be prepared for any further attacks from these terrorists. And we will find their base of operations and put an end to their ways. The kingdom has stood tall once before against these rogues. We shall do so again!"  
  
The crowd cheered again. Everyone, even Sonic, was hanging on the words that Elias said.  
  
"And now," Elias said, "on a lighter note, I have an announcement to make." This is it, Geoffrey thought to himself. My big moment.  
  
"As you well know, my sister, Princess Sally, will soon come of age. As the ambassador of Knothole, and the second in line for the throne, my father has deemed it advisable that she be wed."  
  
Sonic's ears immediately perked up at Elias's words. "How convenient," Sonic thought to himself. "Sally has to get married, and I'm going to propose to her. Everything works out for the best."  
  
"And it is with great pleasure," Elias said, "that I announce my sister's engagement to my friend, and a man who will make an excellent husband for her, Commander Geoffrey St. John!"  
  
The crowd cheered, but Sonic was oblivious to it. The words that Elias had said felt like a huge sword driving straight through his heart. Sally's getting engaged to Geoffrey?! But that's absurd! Sally doesn't love him! There has to be an explanation for this! It's probably Geoffrey's doing! I just know it is! Sally would never betray me like this!  
  
"Sonic? You okay?" Tails brought Sonic back to reality, and Sonic had realized that the speech that Elias was giving had ended quite some time ago, and the people were just now dispersing.  
  
"Come on, Tails," Sonic said. "I'm going to get to the bottom of this."  
  
* * *  
  
Sonic raced to the front gate when most of the people had dispersed. Two royal guards immediately met him at the gate.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sonic," one of the guards said, "but we have orders not to let you in."  
  
"What?" Sonic said in disbelief. "I've been coming and going to see Sally for months now! What's the big idea?"  
  
"The order comes from Prince Geoffrey St. John," the other guard said.  
  
"He's a prince now?" Sonic asked. "That was pretty fast."  
  
"He was made a prince following the announcement of the engagement," the first guard said. "And he told us not to let you into the palace."  
  
Sonic glanced at the two guards and uttered two simple words silently. "We'll see," he said. With that he turned his back on the guards and walked away. The two guards stood at ease again as the hedgehog retreated. But not for long. Sonic threw a coin up in the air that caught the guards' attention, and that was all the distraction he needed. He quickly sped past the guards, running through the main hall. He was making a beeline for Sally's room, and had no intentions of making any stops along the way.  
  
That is, until Geoffrey appeared in his way. Sonic could have simply blew right by him, but he was intent on getting to the bottom of this. He stopped in front of Geoffrey.  
  
"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Geoffrey asked in his distinguished tone.  
  
"I'm here to see Sally," Sonic said.  
  
"You will adress Sally as her royal highness from now on, Sonic, and she is rather busy to be talking to commoners like you, so unless you want me to have you arrested for breaking into the palace, I suggest you leave right now."  
  
"I'm not leaving!" Sonic said. "Not for you or anyone. Not until I talk to Sally."  
  
Geoffrey smirked. "Has it occurred to you that maybe Sally doesn't love you?"  
  
"Of course she loves me!" Sonic shouted. "I know you're up to something, Stinky! She would never turn me down for you!"  
  
"Oh now, be honest, Sonic," Geoffrey said. "How do you think it would look if Sally were to marry a poor, pitiful commoner like you?"  
  
That did it. Sonic could take no more of Geoffrey's crap. He curled his right hand up into a fist and let him have it with a right hook. He smiled at what he had done, then frowned when he realized that all it did was make Geoffrey flinch. He still stood on his feet, and in fact smirked at Sonic.  
  
"This is how you throw a punch," Geoffrey said before attacking Sonic with a right uppercut of his own that knocked Sonic to the ground. The force of the punch was much stronger than Sonic expected, and he had difficulty even getting up. By then it was already too late, as the two guards at the gate appeared and put handcuffs on him.  
  
"Take him away," Geoffrey ordered. "He is under arrest!"  
  
* * *  
  
Two days later, Sonic was sitting before the tribunal facing crimes of breaking into the royal palace and assaulting the suitor of Princess Sally. Sonic did his best to explain his actions, but it was all for naught.  
  
"Sonic Hedgehog," the judge said. "You have been found guilty of all charges against you. Is there anything you wish to say before the tribunal pronounces sentence?"  
  
Sonic glanced at Geoffrey, who sat at the prosecutor's table, then looked up at the judge for a few seconds. He then closed his eyes and said "No."  
  
"So be it," the judge said. "Sonic Hedgehog, it is the decision of this court that..."  
  
"Wait!" shouted a familiar voice. Sonic's eyes shot open and looked at the familiar figure in the courtroom. "Sally!" he shouted with a smile.  
  
Geoffrey stood up, looking at Sonic as if he'd spit on a church. "You will address her as 'your highness'!"  
  
"She's my friend!" Sonic said. "And I don't have to do what you say!"  
  
Geoffrey looked ready to tear Sonic apart, but Sally stepped in between the two of them. "Geoffrey, it's all right," she said.  
  
Sonic smiled. "Sally to the rescue," he thought. Surely she would get him out of this mess. But something was not right. Sonic noticed that Sally was trying to avoid looking at him.  
  
"Your honor," Sally said, "I ask that the court spare Sonic."  
  
"That's it!?" Sonic asked in surprise. "Sally, I thought you were going to help me! Surely you can tell this guy that it was all a big misunderstanding!"  
  
Sally still refused to look at Sonic, and said almost sadly, "I'm sorry, Sonic, but this is out of my hands now."  
  
Sonic sat back down. Something's not right! Why is Sally doing this? There has to be a reason!  
  
"Your suggestion has been noted, your highness," the judge said. He then turned to Sonic. "Sonic Hedgehog. It is the decision of this court that you be banished from Knothole for the remainder of your natural life." Sonic winced at those words, and the judge added a little extra sentiment. "And let it be known that if Sonic Hedgehog ever sets foot in Knothole again, he is to be executed on sight. This court is adjourned."  
  
The gavel struck, and two guards put handcuffs around Sonic. Sonic saw Sally leave the courtroom with Geoffrey.  
  
"Sally!" Sonic shouted. "Look at me! Tell me this isn't true!" Sally wouldn't look at Sonic, however, as Geoffrey hurried her out of the courtroom.  
  
"Sally!!!"  
  
* * *  
  
"Zees ees not right," Antoine D'Coolette said to Sonic. He had agreed to escort Sonic to the edge of Knothole. Antoine was just as surprised as Sonic at the sudden announcement of the engagement. He wasn't pleased at how Geoffrey had practically rammed Sonic's exile down the throat of the tribunal, either.  
  
"You're damn right it isn't," Sonic said. "The way that Sally wouldn't even look at me in the courtroom....something has to be up."  
  
"Indeed," Antoine said. "I have never trusted le Pew seence I met heem. I know hee ees behind zees."  
  
Sonic thought for a moment. "You don't think Sally actually agreed to marry Geoffrey?"  
  
"Absolutelie not," Antoine said. "Sallie always talks about you. She would not betray you like zees."  
  
Sonic sighed. "I wish I could believe you."  
  
"Worry not, Sonic. Zees will only be temporarie. I will talk to Sally and she will find a way to get you back to Knothole."  
  
Sonic smiled and patted Antoine on the back. "Thanks Ant. And thanks for coming along with me to the border."  
  
Antoine smiled. "Eet ees nothing," he said. He then looked down and sighed. "I use to be in love with Sally once," he said. "Zees is not like Sally at all. I promise I will find out what ees going on."  
  
"I'm glad I have you for a friend, Ant."  
  
Antoine nodded. "I have to bee going now," he said. "Maybee we will see each othair again soon."  
  
"Maybe, Ant," Sonic said. "Maybe."  
  
Antoine saluted Sonic, then turned back toward Knothole, leaving Sonic on his own.  
  
Sonic looked out at the land before him. "Robotropolis is that way," Sonic said looking to the left. "And I can't go there unless I want to deal with Eggman. But there is Station Square," Sonic said as he looked to the right. He then sighed. "I shouldn't worry. I've lived on my own before. I can do it again."  
  
Sonic pulled out the ring box from his backpack and looked at the ring, a beautiful gold band with diamonds and emeralds that he was going to use to propose to Sally with. "But it's not going to seem the same. Not without Sally."  
  
"Hey Sonic! You still here?"  
  
Sonic glanced over his shoulder. "Hello Mina," he said.  
  
Mina saw the sadness in Sonic's eyes. When she found out about the engagement at first she was thrilled, as it meant that Sonic was all hers. But looking at Sonic like this, Mina couldn't find it in herself to feel happy. She glanced at the ring that Sonic was looking at, wondering why Sonic would be carrying around what looked like an engagement ring. Then it all became clear to her, and she sighed.  
  
"I'm sorry it ended like this," Mina said. "I didn't want to win you this way."  
  
Sonic said nothing.  
  
"So where are you going now?" Mina asked.  
  
"I was thinking about going to Station Square," Sonic said. "But it doesn't really matter right now...."  
  
Mina was silent for a few seconds, then said, "I want to go with you. Just for a little while. I want to make sure you'll be all right."  
  
"Thanks Mina," Sonic replied with a soft smile on his face.  
  
"Mind if I come along?" spoke another familiar voice.  
  
"Tails, you're here too?"  
  
"Of course, Sonic," Tails said with a smile. "I'm not going to turn my back on my best friend."  
  
Sonic smiled, happy to still be with friends. "Thanks guys. You have no idea how much this means to me."  
  
((TO BE CONTINUED..))  
  
* * *  
  
Once again, comments and criticism are welcome. Flames will result in decapitation. 


	3. The Other Side of the Coin

Bid For Power  
  
by  
  
Black Fox Raven  
  
* * *  
  
Okay, legal disclaimer. Anyone not ©Sega or Archie is ©me. This fanfic should ONLY exist at www.fanfiction.net, so if you got it somewhere else, e- mail me at raven2040@yahoo.com.  
  
Plagiarism is a very bad thing, boys and girls, so don't steal my work.  
  
* * *  
  
CHAPTER 3  
  
* * *  
  
Sonic, Mina, and Tails began their long journey to Station Square. Their game plan was to go through the Barren Lands, cross them into the Mystic Ruins, and take a train to the city. It wasn't a long journey for Sonic, but Mina tired out more easily than Sonic did, and Tails wasn't gifted with the super speed that the hedgehog or the mongoose had, so they took their time. Sonic wasn't really in much of a hurry to get there anyway.  
  
"I hate the Barren Lands," Mina said. "It's so boring. Nothing but dirt for miles."  
  
"It used to be quite a lovely place," Tails said. "But it was used as a testing area for Eggman's Doomsday project. All organic life was killed off by it, and what you see is all that's left."  
  
"Yeah, it gives me the creeps," Sonic added. "No grass, no plants, no bugs, no nothing...."  
  
"There aren't even any birds flying overhead," Tails replied. "Just think, Sonic. If we hadn't stopped that Doomsday project the whole world would have turned out like this."  
  
"Yeah, no kidding," Sonic said.  
  
Mina then spoke up. "Sonic, it's getting pretty late. Don't you think we should camp for the night?"  
  
Sonic checked his bearings, then nodded. "We should get to the Mystic Ruins tomorrow afternoon. I guess here's as good a place as any to camp out."  
  
Mina agreed. "We're in the middle of nowhere, so it's not like one place is going to be better than the other."  
  
************************  
  
Night had fallen. Since there were no supplies or materials with which to build a fire, the group used a lantern as a light source. Tails talked all throughout the night about his adventures with Sonic, and Mina talked about her life before she met Sonic. Sonic himself wanted to share in the good times that Tails and Mina were having, but couldn't. His mind was still on Sally and the injustices that were done to him. As he turned in for the night, he did his best to try to block the event out of his mind and to never think about it again.  
  
It was no use. His nightmares had begun.  
  
At first Sonic thought he had beaten back his emotions, as initially his dream was a pleasant one. He singlehandedly infiltrated Robotropolis and challenged Dr. Robotnik. It was a challenge that Sonic won. Robotnik was dead. Gone forever. For good this time. Sonic should have been hailed as a hero.  
  
But it was not the case. When he returned to Knothole he found that no one had wanted him there. One by one, Sonic's friends, Bunnie, Antoine, Rotor, Mina, and even Tails, told Sonic that he wasn't wanted. Sonic cowered on the floor as the ones he trusted continued their verbal assault on him.  
  
And then it was broken up. Sonic looked up, and only Sally was there with him. Sonic smiled, but Sally did not smile back. Sally spoke with words that pierced Sonic's very soul and threatened to send him into a downward spiral into madness.  
  
"I don't love you, Sonic."  
  
Sonic tried to say something, but he found he was frozen. Geoffrey St. John appeared behind Sally, holding her in his arms and giving Sonic a look as if to say "she is mine." The two walked away, and Sonic suddenly found himself in a glass cylinder. He looked to see Dr. Robotnik, who he thought he had gotten rid of for good, grinning from ear to ear as he pulled a lever. There was all the pain in the world as Sonic screamed, his flesh being transmogrified into steel, his veins becoming wires, his blood becoming oil....  
  
....and Sonic woke up screaming.  
  
"Sonic, are you all right?" Tails asked. He was wide awake and out of his sleeping bag for some reason.  
  
Sonic came to his senses and his breathing returned to normal. "Just a nightmare," he said to himself.  
  
"Sonic, we have a problem," Tails said. "Mina's gone."  
  
His ears perked up at the news. "Gone? Gone where?"  
  
"I don't know," Tails replied, looking very worried. "Her footprints lead that way." Tails pointed to the north.  
  
Sonic shrugged. "She wasn't taken, that's for sure. Maybe she just went out for a walk." But a voice in Sonic's head said, "but what if she didn't?"  
  
"Should we go look for her?" Tails asked.  
  
Sonic nodded. "We'd better make sure." Sonic sped off in the direction of Mina's footprints. Tails did his best to keep up, flying alongside him. They didn't get very far, however. After about a hundred yards, her footprints stopped.  
  
"Where'd she go?" Tails asked.  
  
"I don't know," Sonic replied. "Mina!"  
  
Tails shouted with him. "Mina! Where are you?"  
  
The only reply was silence.  
  
"Mina!" Sonic shouted, louder this time.  
  
"Mina!" Tails shouted as well.  
  
Again, silence.  
  
"Maybe she's gone back to the campsite," Tails asked.  
  
"Yeah, but where did her footprints go?"  
  
"Wait, Sonic!" Tails said suddenly. "Do you hear something?"  
  
Sonic listened. "Yeah, I hear something."  
  
"It sounds like," Tails paused, trying to make it out. "It....sounds like a motorcycle."  
  
"Who would be out riding a motorcycle in the middle of nowhere?" Sonic asked.  
  
"I don't know," Tails answered, "but it's getting louder."  
  
It was then that Sonic saw something shining in the distance. Whatever it was, it was metallic. And it was heading straight for them. "Heads up!" he shouted to Tails. Four air-bikes quickly rushed past the two at incredible speeds.  
  
And Sonic heard something other than the air-bikes.  
  
"Soooooniiiiiic!"  
  
That voice was unmistakable. "Mina!" She was being carried around the arm of one of the riders. Sonic immediately chased after the air-bikes. Much to his dismay, the air-bikes were pretty fast. He could outrun them, but just barely. Then he noticed something on the back of the airbikes. A red mark that looked familiar. Sonic recognized it and gasped.  
  
"Oh no," he muttered. "Stosstrupen!"  
  
"Sonic! Help!" Sonic heard a voice behind him. It was Tails. Sonic stopped chasing after the other airbikes and turned around to see a fifth airbike speed past him. The rider was carrying Tails by his tails.  
  
The loud noise of a roaring engine behind him caught Sonic's attention as he turned around. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was a huge lead pipe smashing into his face and knocking him to the ground.  
  
************************  
  
"Well done, Julia," spoke a young male voice. Sonic had come to his senses and immediately realized that for some reason he could not see. The voices that spoke in the room were hard to make out, as Sonic's ears were still ringing from having the wind knocked out of him.  
  
"Thank you, my lord," the one called Julia replied. "But I do not like the idea of bringing these people here."  
  
"We've taken in refugees before, Julia," the first voice said. "Why are you worried now?"  
  
"This is Sonic the Hedgehog," Julia answered. "He has close ties to the royal family."  
  
"I am aware of that, Julia. And that is why he will be a powerful ally."  
  
"He is likely to refuse your offer, my lord."  
  
"If that is the case, then so be it. You may leave now, Juila."  
  
"Alone, my lord? With the prisoners?"  
  
"I am not alone," the man said. "I have my bodyguards with me. And they are bound at the wrists behind their backs. They will not harm me."  
  
There was silence for a while after that. "Remove their blindfolds," the man said.  
  
The blindfold around Sonic was removed, and the first thing Sonic saw was a young man before him, slightly taller than Sonic, and wearing extravagant gold armor. He looked like a strange cross-breed of a tiger and a wolf. His features and his muzzle were canine, yet he had darkened stripes all over his fur like a tiger. His eyes were bright green that showed no malice or evil, but no good or benevolence either. He sat on what resembled a throne that rivaled the one that Sonic had seen in the palace before. At his side were two men with their faces covered by red shawls, sporting the same outfits that the riders that abducted him were wearing. The room they were in was lit only by torches, but it was very well crafted and comfortably furnished.  
  
"So you're Sonic the Hedgehog," the man in armor said. "I thought you'd be more impressive."  
  
Sonic said nothing. He glanced to his sides. At his left was Mina. At his right was Tails. Both were bound at the wrists the same way he was.  
  
"Permit me to introduce myself," the man said. "I am Dio of house Stosstrupen. I am at your service."  
  
"Why am I here?" Sonic asked.  
  
"We caught up with you in the barren lands," Dio replied. "You've been through some tough times lately."  
  
"That's none of your business!" Sonic snapped. "And how did you know that anyway?"  
  
"I have my methods," Dio answered.  
  
Tails spoke up. "From the looks of things, you seem to have a powerful underground network here."  
  
Dio nodded. "Very perceptive, boy," he said. "But I don't have to tell you. I'm sure you know who we are after having listened to all of the propaganda that the royal family has given you."  
  
"They've told us enough," Sonic said. "They've told us you're all a bunch of murderers."  
  
Dio shook his head. "Sonic, we are assassins. We are not murderers."  
  
"Then how do you explain the two bases you destroyed without any provocation?" Mina asked.  
  
"I call it 'defending our territory'," Dio replied.  
  
"Oh really?" Sonic asked. "Those bases were put there to stop Eggman! Because of you..."  
  
"And you honestly believe that?" Dio interrupted. "That was simply more propaganda. Those bases were not put there to stop Dr. Robotnik."  
  
Sonic said nothing, but flashed a look of distrust in Dio's general direction.  
  
"A month ago," Dio began, "one of our group was found in Robotropolis and captured by royal soldiers. He was deemed as a 'suspicious character' and interrogated as to his whereabouts. Under extreme torture he revealed the existence of the Stosstrupen, but not our exact location. He only told them that we were somewhere in Robotropolis. The two bases that were established were placed at choke points that prevented us from leaving Robotropolis. They were also to be used as staging points in attacks against the Stosstrupen. All under the false guise of being there to deal with Dr. Robotnik.  
  
"We simply acted as any cornered animal would have. I sent Julia and several others to do away with the bases. Once they were compromised, we allowed Dr. Robotnik to do the rest."  
  
Sonic was silent for a while. When he realized that Dio was expecting a response, he said only "You're mad."  
  
"Am I?" Dio asked.  
  
"How can you possibly fight with the royal family over a meaningless blood- feud when a very real threat to all organic life thrives in your own backyard?" Sonic asked.  
  
"You don't understand us," Dio replied. "What the royal family doesn't tell you is that we love this planet as much as they do. We have made several covert operations against Dr. Robotnik ever since he came to power, while at the same time keeping our existence hidden from him."  
  
"Then why don't you just join up with the House of Acorn?" Mina asked. "You'd do much better against Robotnik if you joined forces."  
  
"Because the House of Acorn is more concerned with their own petty problems than the best interests of Mobius," Dio replied, "and in fact certain people close to the House of Acorn are using this to their advantage."  
  
That last sentence caught Sonic's attention. "What do you mean?"  
  
"As you may now, King Maximillian has left the reins of the kingdom to his son, Elias. Elias is actually a weak ruler who doesn't even want to be a prince to begin with. I'm not entirely sure why he doesn't simply abdicate, but I'm guessing that he has a strong loyalty to his father.  
  
"However," Dio continued, "we've learned that Elias is actually little more than a figurehead, and that the true power within the kingdom lies with a close friend of the royal family. A man by the name of Geoffrey St. John."  
  
Sonic winced at the mention of Geoffrey's name, and Mina and Tails just stared at Dio, half in shock, half in confusion. "Is this true?" Mina asked.  
  
"I have little doubt," Dio replied. "He recently became engaged to Princess Sally, which is almost certain to guarantee his high standing among the royal family.."  
  
"That's not true!" Sonic shouted. "Sally's never going to marry Geoffrey!"  
  
Dio smirked. "Are you so certain?"  
  
"Absolutely!" Sonic replied.  
  
"Can you say it without any doubt in your mind?" Dio replied. "Did Sally protest at the engagment? Did she ever talk to you before it happened? Or after it happened, for that matter?"  
  
Sonic wanted to say something, anything, as a rebuttal, but couldn't. Dio had a point. He held his head in sadness and looked down. "No," Sonic replied. He shot his head back up, continuing his definat tone from before, and said, "but I still believe that Sally would never betray me! There has to be a reason for this!"  
  
"You believe what you like," Dio replied, "but even you must realize that we're only looking out for the best interests of Mobius. And that is why we want the three of you to join our cause."  
  
"No, I will not join, and yes I speak for Tails and Mina!" Sonic said with little hesitation.  
  
Dio got up from his throne, walking toward Sonic, looking down at him with an expression that Sonic couldn't make out. It seemed to be a combination of pity, disappointment, and even sadness. "Do not dismiss us just yet, Sonic," Dio said. "We will give you ample time to think about your decision."  
  
"My decision's already made!" Sonic replied. "And nothing you say or do will change it."  
  
"Maybe not anything I can do," Dio replied. He then turned to the two guards at his sides. "Undo their binds," he ordered. The two guards did just that, slipping behind Sonic, Tails, and Mina and cutting the ropes that bound their wrists.  
  
Dio smiled when the three of them looked at him in confusion. "You may walk around freely, and explore our base of operations," Dio said. "However, you will not be able to leave until you make a decision. Should you decide to join us, you will all be welcome to stay as long as you like. If not, we will take you back to the Barren Lands, and pretend that none of this ever happened. The choice is yours. Think you well on it."  
  
Sonic was silent for a while. Mina tapped him on the shoulder and asked, "Can I look around?"  
  
"Sure," Sonic said.  
  
Mina smiled. "I'll meet up with you later."  
  
"That might be a good idea, Sonic," Tails said. "We should look around and see what the Stosstrupen do here."  
  
"Yeah," Sonic replied. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt." With that, Sonic and Tails left Dio's room.  
  
************************  
  
The two of them had looked around for over an hour. Tails split up from Sonic after he saw the workshop that the Stosstrupen had. Tails was always intrigued with machines and building them, so Sonic let him go on his own.  
  
The hideout wasn't a hideout so much as it was an underground city. It reminded Sonic of Robotropolis, only it was actually inhabited. It wasn't exactly the cleanest place, however. It looked to be in a state of poverty. Sonic guessed that the Stosstrupen didn't have many funds.  
  
He glanced inside a building, and saw something he definitely did not expect to see. It looked like an orphanage. He walked in and saw several children, not more than five or six years old, playing with some old toys. It certainly did not look like the actions of a group of terrorists.  
  
One of the children looked up at Sonic and gasped. When he did, the others turned to face Sonic, looking at him in fear.  
  
"It's....it's Sonic the Hedgehog!" one of the boys said.  
  
The children all huddled into a corner, looking at him with fear. Sonic scratched his head in confusion.  
  
"Hey," he said, "I'm not here to get you or anything."  
  
"Yes you are!" one of the girls said, almost on the verge of tears. "You're here to take us away!"  
  
The children all started to cry, and Sonic panicked. "Hey! I told you, I'm not here to hurt you, I'm just--"  
  
"What's going on here?" spoke a feminine voice from behind him. Sonic turned to see a young ferret about his age, with cream colored fur and bright indigo hair. She was clad in a gray body-suit and had a tattered cloak wrapped around her. The children all saw her and smiled, running past Sonic and to her.  
  
"Aunt Julia!" they shouted.  
  
Julia bent to her knees and hugged the children as they ran to her. "How are you kids?" she asked. "Have you been behaving yourselves?"  
  
"Aunt Julia," one of the boys said. "Sonic the Hedgehog's here! He's come to take us from you!"  
  
Julia looked at the boy, then at Sonic, and then laughed. "Oh no he's not," Julia said. "Who told you that?"  
  
"That's what all the adults say," one of the girls said. "Anyone who's from the surface is with the royal family. And anyone with the royal family is bad."  
  
"Well they told you wrong," Julia said. "And Sonic's a friend, so you all go over to him and apologize."  
  
The children all turned to Sonic. "We're sorry, Mister Sonic," they said almost in unison.  
  
"Good," Julia said. "Now get to bed."  
  
The children ran up the stairs. One of them turned back to Julia and asked. "Aunt Julia, will you tell us a bedtime story?"  
  
"Of course," she replied. "Just give me a few minutes and I'll be up there." After all the children were out of sight, Julia turned to Sonic, "They can be a handful, can't they?"  
  
"Yeah," Sonic said. "This place is nothing like what I expected."  
  
"Let me guess," Julia said, "you were expecting cold hard assassins that wouldn't think twice about killing and would sell their mothers for a nickel, right?"  
  
"Would you be offended if I said yes?"  
  
Julia laughed softly. "No, I wouldn't. In fact that's what most people see us as. But it's not the truth. We're assassins, but we're more than that. All of those children were orphans found in Robotropolis. They had nowhere to go, so we took them in."  
  
"They really look up to you," Sonic said.  
  
Julia nodded. "I grew up here. My...." Julia had difficulty continuing. "My parents were killed during Robotnik's coup against the house of Acorn."  
  
"I....sorry to bring that up," Sonic said hesitantly.  
  
"No need to apologize," Julia replied, her smile returning. "After the coup Lord Dio found me. He told me that we could fight against Robotnik, and that we could return Mobius to its former glory. He, in a sense, became my father."  
  
"I see," Sonic said. "Do you really believe he's serious when he says he wants to help Mobius?"  
  
"Absolutely," Julia said. "I have seen how passionate he is about his work, and his goals. I trust in him."  
  
Sonic glanced around the orphanage. He noted the two Robian workers cleaning up after the children. They weren't the first ones he saw either. "I notice there are a lot of Robians here," Sonic said.  
  
"They have come here because, like the orphans, they have no place to go," Julia replied. "They don't share the same rights as ordinary people in Knothole."  
  
Sonic thought about his Uncle Chuck and his parents. "Yeah, I know."  
  
"Dio has stated that everyone, Mobian, Robian, Overlander, or whatever race, is welcome among the Stosstrupen. That's why the Stosstrupen is so loyal to him."  
  
"Yes," Sonic said. "Many of these people are here because no one else will take them in." He thought about that for a moment.  
  
"Well," Julia said, "I have to go. I can't keep the children waiting any longer. Think about the offer that Dio gave you."  
  
"I will," Sonic said, actually considering it for the first time.  
  
Julia stepped closer to Sonic and looked him in the eye, her expression warm and kind, not at all like that of an assassin, despite the fact that that was what she was. "Sonic, there are much worse things than joining us," she said. "It's really not that bad here."  
  
Sonic blushed a little at the close proximity of the ferret. "I....I'll think about it," he said hesitantly. Julia smiled at him and nodded, then went upstairs to join the children.  
  
Sonic stepped outside of the orphanage and saw Mina standing at a railing. Below was another part of the "city". That was the best word to describe this place, Sonic thought. He looked down with her, and saw the people going about their lives, walking to their homes, and whatever. It looked like a real city, despite the fact that everything was underground.  
  
Even more interesting to Sonic: the people seemed happy here.  
  
"It doesn't look anything like what I expected," Mina said.  
  
"I know," Sonic replied, not turning to face Mina, still thinking about what Julia said.  
  
Mina noticed the thought in Sonic's expression. "You're not actually thinking about joining up with these guys, are you?"  
  
"I wasn't at first," Sonic thought. "But when I look at this place, I wonder if the Stosstrupen are really everything that we learned about in history. I don't know who's wrong or right anymore."  
  
"But Sonic, these people hate the royal family," Mina said. "That includes..."  
  
Mina stopped suddenly and Sonic looked at her curiously.  
  
"That includes....Sally," Mina said quietly. "We've been loyal to the enemies of the Stosstrupen for so long, Sonic. Can we really just betray everyone so quickly?"  
  
"I know how you feel," Sonic said, "but you heard Dio. Geoffrey's the main problem that's hit the royal family. If we get rid of him, I'm sure we can end this fighting betwen the Stosstrupen and Knothole."  
  
Mina sighed. "I know you want to help, Sonic, but....I don't want to see any bloodshed."  
  
"I don't either," Sonic replied. "But I have to do something. You know how I am. I can't just let things run their course." Sonic looked down before continuing. "But I have to think about it a little more. I still don't know if it's something I can do."  
  
Mina placed her palm on Sonic's shoulder. "Whatever you decide on....I'll stand by that decision."  
  
Sonic looked at her in surprise. "Mina, you don't have to..."  
  
"I want to, Sonic. You're my friend. And I don't have any place to go either. I agreed to go with you to Station Square."  
  
"But this is different, Mina. This isn't just moving to another city. This is actually joining up with an organization that many consider to be a bunch of terrorists."  
  
"But they're not terrorists," Mina said. "You can see that yourself. Besides, I can help around too. How many other mongeese with my speed do you know?" Mina smiled at him and winked.  
  
Sonic sighed. "You'll do whatever you want no matter what I say, won't you? All right, but I still haven't decided yet."  
  
At that a young lion tapped Sonic on the shoulder. Sonic turned to face him. He looked to be about Sonic's age, and was roughly the same height. His mane was bright red and he wore a black tunic and black boots. "Sorry to bother you," he said with an accent that was similar to Antoinne's but not nearly as thick or annoying, "but your presence is requested by Lord Dio."  
  
Sonic turned to Mina who was looking at the lion with interest, then back to the lion and nodded. "All right."  
  
The lion smiled. "Follow me," he said.  
  
************************  
  
They met not in Dio's room, but in a conference room. Sonic, Mina, and Tails were there, along with Julia and the young lion from earlier. There were a few other faces, but none of them that Sonic recognized. Dio then entered the room.  
  
"Thank you for coming so quickly," Dio said. "We've recieved news."  
  
"I'll take it from here, Dio," the young lion said.  
  
Dio nodded, then turned to Sonic. "This is Jean-Paul," Dio said. "He's an expert on reconnaisance and intelligence."  
  
"We've received a distress signal from deep inside Robotropolis," Jean-Paul said. With that he took out a tape recorder and pressed the play button.  
  
"This is Captain Taylor Grant of the 17th unit! If anyone can hear us, we're stranded in Robotropolis and are under attack. Requesting backup from any allied sources. Repeat, requesting backup from any allied sources. We don't know how much longer we can hold out here."  
  
Jean-Paul then pressed the stop button on the tape recorder.  
  
"Isn't that one of Geoffrey's units?" Mina asked.  
  
Dio nodded. "I'm not sure why Geoffrey sent a whole unit into the lion's den like that. It's possible he may have sent them to look for us."  
  
"But why should you bother with them?" Sonic asked. "I mean, Robotnik's forces are going to get rid of them for you sooner or later."  
  
"We're not going to let them die," Dio said. "We're going to rescue them."  
  
Sonic's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"  
  
Dio nodded. "One of Geoffrey's own units will prove to be a powerful ally to our cause," he said. "If Geoffrey has gotten this message it would take him a whole day to send forces to get that unit out of there. By then it would be too late, and it would be too costly, so it's likely that Geoffrey isn't even going to bother answering the distress call. We, however, can rescue them in only an hour. I have a plan, but I need your help, Sonic."  
  
The hedgehog closed his eyes. "I'm listening."  
  
Dio pressed a button on the table and holographic tactical display came up. A layout of the terrain was shown, with a large red block labeled "17th Unit". Two cylinders were also visible, both of them labeled "Power Plants".  
  
"Sonic and Mina will go in first," Dio said, pressing some buttons on the table as two dots representing the hedgehog and the mongoose came up. "There are two power plants on either side of the 17th unit. I want you two to go in and use these." He handed both a CD. "On those disks is a virus that will cause the power plants to overload. There should be a main computer in the power plants that you can put the disks in. Now the plants will not be heavily guarded, as most of the Swatbots that guarded the power plants are attacking the 17th unit as we speak. The destruction of these plants will cause a diversion that should get the attention of the attackers. In the meantime, Tails will come in driving a modified APC. It has an armament of a rotating Gatling gun, in case you run into trouble." Dio turned to Tails. "You'll load as many people onto the APC as possible. Captain Taylor Grant herself is your top priority. After you've done that, the three of you will get the hell out of there and head back to headquarters. You're likely to be pursued, so Julia and Jean-Paul will have units ready to cover your escape."  
  
"So when do we begin?" Sonic asked.  
  
"As soon as possible. We don't know how long they'll last there. And if they give the Swatbots enough trouble reinforcements are likely to arrive. I should warn you that should you agree to do this you will be considered a traitor to the crown. You may never see your Sally again."  
  
"I know," Sonic said with a sigh.  
  
Mina tapped him on the shoulder after a moment of silence. "Sonic?"  
  
Sonic spoke, his voice trembling a little. "I...I can't make a decision to join you...not yet. But I will help you get those people out of there. I just need more time."  
  
Dio nodded. "As you wish, Sonic."  
  
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Jean-Paul said. "Let's get moving!"  
  
((TO BE CONTINUED..))  
  
* * *  
  
Once again, comments and criticism are welcome. Flames will result in decapitation. 


End file.
